Letter Re: Recommendations on Hardening a Garage Door?

JWR,
I am finally getting to build a house out on my retreat property. First st on the agenda is the 25′ x 40′ steel storage building that will give us secure storage for materials, etc., and then I will build a garage/shop. The issue that has us stumped is how to harden the garage door against someone being able to “work” at getting in while we are away at work all day. A chainsaw would chew right thru the normal fiber board panels and no one is close enough to notice the noise. So far we have thought of fixing “U” stakes (the stamped cheap replacement for “T” fence posts) to the inside of the door panels, and concrete reinforcement wire mesh. The concerns are the weight/ability to be able to lift the door after hardening. There will be no lock on the door from the outside, since we will lock through the roller tracks from the inside. Any other/better ideas?

OBTW, we are using insulated concrete forms for the house – 2.5″ of form, 8″ of concrete, 2.5″ of form, drywall. The siding on the outside will be about 2″ of cultured stone – I think that will make for pretty tough walls. – D.A.B.

JWR Replies: I have experience with steel garage and shop doors, but not wood or fiberboard doors. So what you are asking is beyond my expertise. I think it is time to poll the audience. Comments, folks?

Letter Re: Indian Reservation Boundaries a Determining Factor for Retreat Locales?

Hi Jim,
Excellent web site! Regarding the recent discussion on living near or in a reservation, I have a couple of informed comments. I have been living near the Navajo Nation, and working in the Navajo Nation for about one year. I am of Caucasian descent. Here’s a couple of observations:
1. Native Americans seem to have a subtle racism/dislike for whites … when TSHTF, I am sure that they will draw together, and whites will find themselves an “outgroup.”
2. Most reservations and reservation residents, even though proclaiming sovereign status, are actually very dependent on the US government for various government hand-outs (e.g. welfare, etc.), and the bloated reservation bureaucracies are also very US government dependent. In a SHTF scenario, with governmental economic collapse, all of these dependent structures, and dependent people will have the economic rug pulled out from underneath them. Most native people have done nothing constructive with this massive US government input, such as developing true self-sufficiency … instead [funds from] the US [Treasury] are wasted on things such as casinos and to feed rampant local corruption. When the SHTF, the reservations will be total disaster zones, with a lot of people whining about how they are no longer getting US [government] hand-outs.
3. Most reservations are in areas with poor land, as in poor soil, limited water supply; essentially undesirable land.
4. Reservations contain many alcohol abusers, and they will be dangerous in their search for their next fix, when TSHTF.
5. Gang activities are increasingly developing in reservations, and these gangs will likely ascend to power in a SHTF scenario.
6. Reservations are famous for “rez dogs”, and these essentially wild dogs will easily group into packs, leading to extreme danger for any humans and/or potential food source animals for humans.
After evaluating this situation, I am moving to the Intermountain West, post-haste.- G.S. (Currently in Gallup, New Mexico / Northeastern Arizona, soon to be in Northeastern Washington state)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We have discovered that the scheme of ‘outlawing war’ has made war more like an outlaw without making it less frequent, and, that to banish the knight, does not alleviate the suffering of the peasant.” – C.S. Lewis

Letter Re: Updated Nuclear Weapon Targeting Data?

Hi Jim,
A couple of things for you. First, nuclear target data, from www.armscontrolwonk.com

Though it’s not nearly as cool as the real thing (much less with the effects computer), a scanned version of the 1977 edition is available online either as a single PDF or broken up by chapters. The 1957 edition is also available.
1977 as a single PDF
1977 divided by chapter
1957 as a single PDF

Second…
I’ve just received thousands and thousands of pages of new nuke, civil defense, sheltering, Soviet military history, very interesting field manuals and more. The stack is over four feet height. I’ll be producing a list of titles, data, page counts and more the next few weeks. Many I’ve only dreamed of finding. Now the SurvivalRing Survival library has over 20,000 new pages of PURE DATA.

A good chunk will be scanned in over time. Two great deals…one on eBay, and the other from Greg Overbay who’s been on my SurvivalRing mailing list for years. He had to sell his library to prepare for a move to South America. I covered postage, and gave him 26,000 pages of my survival data on my two CD productions…we both came out ahead. The data to come online from these finds and purchases can save millions of lives, should any balloon go up. Contact me at SurvivalRing.org. – Rich Fleetwood

Letter Re: An American Source for Canned Bread

Mr. Rawles,
My the Lord bless and keep you and yours. In response to your mention of the Japanese bread in a can. I found [a similar] canned bread locally (through a friend in West Virginia) at a “Martins Grocery store.” They are mostly a Northeastern U.S. operation. The canned bread is made by B&M (the same company that makes the beans) for about $2.65 a can if I remember right. Tried the Bread and Raisins and it must be kept moist and it is best (IMO) warm and with butter. It is very good, but I have no idea of the shelf life [since] it is not [marked] on the can. I have nothing against the Japanese and who knows B&M might be Japanese owned, but I find it easier to get here. You can cut it by opening both ends [of the can], and then pushing out the desired amount, using the edge of the can as a guide, cut it exactly how you want. This is a link that is almost amusing about the bread.

Here is a link to a place (on the net) that sells American canned bread.

Here is a site that did a nutritional analysis of the bread.
I found the following statement interesting (from that site)

The Good
This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Selenium, and a very good source of Manganese.
The Bad
This food is high in Sodium.

All the best – C.K.

JWR Replies: As you’d expect, my preference is for well-prepared families to grind their own whole wheat flour (from their stored hard red winter wheat) and bake their own bread. Together with the other store bought ingredients, this is a source of nutritious whole wheat bread with a net cost of around 1 to 2 cents per ounce. For comparison, consider that typical store bought bread is 9 to 18 cents per ounce. Canned bread is 29+ cents per ounce, not counting postage, if you buy it via mail order. But of course fresh bread lasts two or three days, whereas canned bread stores for two or three years. So canned bread does have its place in preparedness planning.

 

 

Letter Re: North American Amateur Radio Field Day

Hello Jim,

This weekend (June 24 & 25) is field day for Amateur Radio. This is when Amateur Radio operators practice operating in the field using emergency power. Most clubs around the country and the world will be camped out somewhere in the neighborhood or countryside operating for a 24 hour period. The public is invited to come learn about Amateur Radio and the public service they provide in disasters and try operating themselves. You can find info about local clubs from the ARRL web site or just search the web as most local clubs have their own web sites nowadays. – D.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson recommended this 24 Hour World Disaster Map.

   o o o

SurvivalBlog reader Fred the Valmet-meister mentioned this essay by Pat Buchanan, about the decline of General Motors.

   o o o

David in Israel Recommends: “Start stocking up on UV resistant plastic sheeting which can be purchased from garden and many hardware and farm stores. This sheeting can be used to collect rainwater, patch a roof, make solar still, and build greenhouses. It can last up to three years in sunlight.” JWR Adds: One of the major brands of semi-transparent polyethylene plastic is “Visqueen.” For longest life (in sunlight) and the greatest versatility, be sure to get the thicker (6 mil) variety. Another great product to stock up on is UV resistant white shrink wrap. This is the heavy white sheeting that you’ve probably seen on power boats that have been “winter wrapped.”

   o o o

Mr. Bravo spotted this story about the mountains of disaster relief supplies that the American Red Cross has warehoused. Upon reading this, I realized that in a truly major disaster that transport will be disrupted, so odds are that the vast majority of those supplies will not make it into the hands of the people that need them. This underscores the importance of every family being well-prepared and self-sufficient. Folks can’t depend on the cavalry charging over the hill to their rescue. For most of us, natural disasters are a YOYO (“You’re on Your Own”) situation. I just hope that enough people get my preparedness course and use it to get their key logistics squared away.

Note From JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for a fully stocked M-17 Advanced Medical Bag/Rucksack) has advanced again, to $255. Special thanks to the fine folks at Ready Made Resources, who kindly donated the kit. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of June.

Guns for Unobtrusive Backpack Stowage

I recently had a consulting client on the hurricane prone Gulf Coast of Texas ask me about what he should do about his firearms in the event of a natural disaster. He was concerned that in a “worst case” his family might end up as refugees at an emergency relocation center. Guns could be a contentious issue in the event that officials order that refugees be disarmed “for their protection.” (It has happened before, and it might happen again.)

In my younger days, before I had land of my own, I had considerable experience with backpack stowage of rifles. I often went plinking on a piece of U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land that was only accessible by a short trail that passes through State Park land. To avoid explaining to the park rangers where I was planning to go shoot, I stowed the whole works in a traditional (exposed tubular frame type) backpack. At the time, I had a CAR-15, a AR-7 .22, a folding stock Remington Model 870 riot shotgun, a Savage Model 24F (.223 Remington over 12 gauge), and various handguns. My pack could accommodate any of these guns. (But obviously not all at once.) I only had to make one modification to my pack to make it work. That was to cut out and re-sew part of the stitching that divides the upper from the lower compartment of the pack, leaving a tunnel between the compartments. With my pack, this provided about 22 inches of usable space.

For the guns that have barrels that are too long for the pack, I keep a handy 9 inch length of white 2″ diameter PVC pipe with a standard PVC end cap attached to place over any part of the barrel that protrudes from the top of the pack. With this sticking out of the top of the pack, it looks like you are carrying a broken-down fishing pole, rather than a broken-down long gun. Such PVC tubing is standard equipment for backpackers that carry fishing poles, so it never got more than a passing glance. (Occasionally, thinking that I’m a fisherman, folks asked where the fish are biting.) In five years of going to my favorite piece of BLM land, I was never stopped, questioned, or searched. Keeping a low profile avoids the time and trouble of answering questions posed by “officials” that may or may not have an adequate understanding of applicable local, state, and federal firearms carry and use laws. Why put yourself at risk, needlessly? Words from the wise: When transiting public lands, it is best to stow your guns in your pack and keep your mouth shut. But be sure to consult you local and State laws on concealed carry before doing so.

Notes on particular gun models and varieties:
Handguns: Soft “butterfly” cases are more compact and flexible to stow in packs than hard cases.
Armalite/Charter Arms/Survival Arms AR-7: The perfect backpacker’s plinker. Compact, lightweight, inexpensive, .22 ammo is also lightweight and cheap, quick assembly and disassembly. Spare magazines are inexpensive. It is small enough that it will even fit unobtrusively in a small backpack such as the Army issue LC-1/LC-2 series packs. BTW, the Marlin “Papoose” semi-auto takedown .22 has similar dimensions when stowed.
AR-15, M4, CAR-15: The M4 and CAR-15 stow best. Buy an after-market AR such as an Eagle Arms, Olympic Arms, or Bushmaster. These come with two quick takedown pins rather than the bogus rear-takedown pin and “two-screws-instead-of-a-front- takedown-pin” nonsense that is used on the original Colts. The Colt front takedown screw design is a monstrosity. It takes three hands and two screwdrivers used simultaneously to disassemble or reassemble the Colt-made guns. This hardly qualifies as “easy takedown.”
Savage Model 24: Relatively quick takedown into two halves that are readily stowed in a pack. These have takedown similar to most single shot, side-by-side, over-and-under shotguns and combination guns. For this type of gun, barrel length is is the most important consideration. Barrels longer than 20 inches are a problem for covert pack stowage.
Remington Model 870 and similar pump actions: Will only fit in a pack if a folding stock or pistol grip is installed. They tend to sting if shot with a pistol grip and when thus equipped they are horribly inaccurate, so I recommend that you buy a folding stock. If you insist on buying a pistol grip, buy the Pachmayr “Vindicator” grip. It is rubber coated so there less of a sting. (But still no fun with 3″ magnums.)

Letter Re: My Portable Solar Power System

James,
I thought I would just write a quick note, you and your readers may be interested in the portable solar power setup I built for using my Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine on extended camping trips. See: http://mtoal.dyndns.org/solar Regards, – Hannibal

JWR Replies: Folks with chronic health conditions (for example sleep apnea, diabetes, or dependence on medical oxygen) definitely need to plan ahead for TEOTWAWKI. I commend you both for your ingenuity and your foresight. BTW, you must be one burly dude to carry that battery box. Put that thing on wheels and save on chiropractor bills!

Letter Re: David in Israel on “When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer” Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter

Hello James,
David in Israel has done a great job sparking original thought in certain topics of discussion. I really like his log home ideas. I have one problem with it is: Today’s generation!
I don’t think very many of us could muster up enough fortitude let alone man power to fell trees, drag to the site, de-bark and notch them, lift them into place and head from there, (without modern technology, equipment, and power). I grant him that he was talking about a smaller shelter which would be more feasible. His comments have made me think about creating a home after TEOTWAWKI, and more so having a shelter/home that is mobile. It is my opinion that almost any homeowner/ do-it-yourself type guy could build a home with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). These are not labor intensive at all. No special tools are needed, and the foam does not rot. Instead of concrete, how about mixing earthen mud and using it in the very same way? If a few courses were done at a time and allowed to dry, it would greatly reduce the likely “blow out” from excessive un-braced hydraulic pressure. If a guy was lucky enough to have some 2x4s around, he could temporarily brace, or build a semi-permanent wall inside of the structure to minimize any later movement until the roof was installed and mud dry. I grant you that it could take some time for the mud to dry as it won’t receive much air, but small holes in the foam may exit the water satisfactorily. In the same token, once the mud dries,… it really is protected from outside moisture if installed with a roof that sheds water.
For further reinforcing, one could install vines or green tree branches into his “pour” to help provide some minimalist reinforcements. Keep in mind under those circumstances, dire is dire.
Thought this was about the lightest weight, least labor intensive and safest method of a “portable home” in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Some of the ICF’s fold in half, others are fixed blocks. In this example, the more space saving “folder” type ICFs may be more efficient in space while transporting to your new locale. Food for Thought, – The Wanderer

Odds ‘n Sods:

Be sure to check out my new “big box” preparedness course. The special pricing for SurvivalBlog readers ends on July 4th.

   o o o

From Bulgaria: Lightning strike kills 70 goats, but their goat herder survives

   o o o

One of my favorite science fiction films, The Quiet Earth has finally been released in a Region I (North American) format DVD. (Heretofore it was only available in PAL format.) The movie has some disturbing sequences, but it is a thought provoking piece. (This is not a children’s film!) The DVD is now available on Amazon.com and eBay.com.

   o o o

Japan Warned of a Potential Food Shortage

   o o o

The southern end of the San Andreas Fault is “Ready to Explode”

Note From JWR:

You may have been wondering what has been keeping me so busy for the past two months. I’ve been working on two projects: The first is a new expanded edition of my novel. That should be available in August. The second has been editing the first of what will be a series of courses and nonfiction books. Jake Stafford (you’ve seen some of his letters and articles on SurvivalBlog under a pen name) spearheaded this project. It is a family preparedness course that is now available for ordering. It features my guidance on stocking up a family for a year–everything from food and cleaning supplies to batteries and band-aids. It includes a lot of material that has never appeared in SurvivalBlog. Jake and I walked though a COSTCO store a couple of months back, and he digitally recorded several hours of our discussion. He quizzed me on a wide variety of topics related to food storage, food packaging, storage food shelf lives, et cetera. My responses became the core of his new course. Eventually, it branched out into a variety of related topics like sprouting and the issue of complete proteins versus incomplete proteins. I may be biased, but I highly recommend this course! For more information about the course, click on the link in the upper right hand corner of this web page.

Today is the longest day of the year for our readers in the northern hemisphere. We hope that all is well with your gardens. We’d appreciate your comments and “lessons learned” on practical vegetable gardening and grain growing.